In celebration of Black History Month, Kush Queen is sharing our current obsessions spearheaded by inspirational Black female entrepreneurs.

You may see articles circulating that say women of color are starting more businesses faster than any other demographic. But don't be fooled by the boasting headlines. Yes, the State of Women-Owned Businesses Report does confirm Black women-owned businesses represented the highest growth rate of any other group between 2014 and 2019; however, these go-getters face a unique array of challenges to get there. Often referred to as "survival entrepreneurs" because of high unemployment rates and vast gender and racial pay gaps, the study shares women of minorities are more likely to have a "sidepreneurship" out of necessity. The venture capital space comes with even more scrutiny. Business Insider confirms “before 2021, only 93 Black female founders had raised $1 million or more in venture capital”.  For those hard-working women who need a moment to relax, our THC gummies can help ease the stress and provide much-needed relaxation.

Model sits in a bathtub filled of Kush Queen bath bombs

At Kush Queen, we've experienced our journey as a women-owned business. It's because of your support and your support only that we exist in today's cannabis market. We know the struggles of being a small business in America, and the best thing we can do as a community is to continue supporting the businesses we want to see succeed. Our dollars truly are our power.

 

With that in mind, we'd like to highlight some of Kush Queen's Favorite Black Women-Owned Businesses:


Sexologist Goody Howard

Goody Howard Sexologist

We had the pleasure of being on a panel discussion with Goody back in 2019, and she left an impression on the KQ team that we sill talk about today! From her workshops to 1:1 consultation, Goody is determined to normalize sex-positive conversations as a way to ease stigma and improve sexual responsibility.

Goody Howard is a world-renown sexologist, educator, and consultant. She has dedicated her life to “Empowering through sexual exploration, education, and awareness.” Pair your next self-care session with one of our relaxing CBD gummies while learning from Goody's amazing workshops.

Goody teaches sexual skill workshops, offers sex-positive professional development opportunities, and creates dope, sex-centered t-shirts! She layers her focus on pleasure and education with her energetic and engaging presentation style. 

Ariana Foote, Cannabis Content Creator & Podcast Host

Ariana Foote, Cannabis Content Creator

 

You might know of Ariana as @indicawife, @fruit.worship or the host of Chat About It podcast. Regardless of the channel, platform or topic - you can trust the Ariana keeps it 100% real with you whether is talking about dating, mental health, smoking, edibles or making the most drool worthy smoothie bowls. 

Ariana began creating content, giving her followers an unfiltered look into her life as she navigated her medical experience through bong rips, blunts and the occasional dab.

“The biggest part was me being very vulnerable with my followers,” she said. “Many people smoke for physical pain. But we’re all human beings and there’s a lot of emotional pain there, too.”

 Give her a follow and a listen!

 

KNC Beauty

KNC Beauty Founder Kristen Noel Crawley for Morgan Lane and Hypebae
Image Source: Hypebae

KNC Beauty makes our favorite eye masks of all time. You won't regret having these beauties in your bathroom. We love to use them before a big night out or while we're soaking in a Kush Queen bath bomb. Founded by beauty and fashion influencer Kristen Noel Crowley, KNC Beauty also created the KNC School of Beauty to address the inequities in the beauty industry. 

Crowley has expressed in the past “as a Black female entrepreneur, it has always been extremely important to me to pay it forward and provide opportunities for emerging talent in our community. Having a skincare brand has always been a dream of mine and I’m excited to support other Black businesswomen who share similar goals and visions.”

 

Snocorner 

Ashley Monconduit stands outside SnoCorner, her New Orleans-style snoball shop across from Poly High School. Photo by Mike Guardabascio.
Image Source: Mike Guardabascio for Long Beach Post

Snocorner is a Long Beach-based storefront, specializing in New Orleans-style snowballs. As Louisiana natives, we can't get enough of this delicious local treat. Sure it looks like Hawaiian ice, but New Orleans-style snowballs are different. Trust us. 

Visit their storefront in Long Beach and taste this delicious southern treat for yourself. Interestingly enough Snocorner is a legacy Long Beach business, its current owner Ashley Monconduit is the third generation to own a business at this location!

 

Maya's Cookies

Maya Madsen, founder of Maya’s Cookies, a gourmet vegan cookie company in San Diego, holds a cookie at her bakery.
Image Source: K.C. Alfred for The San Diego Union-Tribune

Maya's Cookies is the number one Black-owned Gourmet Vegan cookie company in America. Founded by a vegan with a self-proclaimed sweet tooth, Maya Madsen launched Maya's Cookies after several unsuccessful searches for that soft, chewy, freshly-baked vegan cookie she badly desired. Madsen spent years crafting her award-winning recipes, including her "Chocolate Chip S'mores" and "Marble Fudge". 

You can visit their San Diego storefront or order online. Recently, Maya's Cookies released their Black History Collection, which was inspired by inspirational figures such as Chadwick Bosman, Michelle Obama, and Uncle Nearest.  

Moving Forward...

Taking a page from the crypto world, we encourage our readers to continue doing their own research before investing their powerful currency into companies that don't necessarily align with their moral values. Supporting minority-owned companies, more specifically Black women-owned businesses, remains a priority within Kush Queen's roadmap and company culture. As a society striving for change, we must develop more conscientious shopping habits if we really want to make a difference.

Follow these incredibly talented Boss Babes for more info!

 

 

We can’t deny our favorite time of year is here! The KQ team LOVES celebrating 420, plant-based wellness, and shining light on all the different ways to share in the holiday! 

If you're reading this, you’ve probably celebrated 420 before or at the very least know the typical stoner activities on this much anticipated holiday, such as 7-gram blunts, gas masks, and ridiculously potent edibles. However, if you're feeling disconnected from the 420s of your past, don't worry because Kush Queen's here to expand the experience from its usual bro-ish vibe to create mind and body connections for genuine self-exploration. 

KQ Hemp Flower Trio

Welcome to thoughtful cannabis consumption—don't get it twisted though, we can still smoke you under the table ;)

Having control of your experience and tapping into cannabinoids with intention is a whole new way of experiencing cannabis. Our 420 gift guide this year centers on Kush Queen's five targeted effects: Orgasmic, Chill, Lifted, Well, and Rest. 

Gifts For An Orgasmic 420 Experience

Perfect For Lovers, Reconnecting, Self-Exploration

Did you know that cannabis is an aphrodisiac? These molecules help set the mood and increase blood flow to the area for heightened pleasure and electrifying sensations. Forget getting stoned and dealing with the munchies this year, instead hit up a sneaky link and have a transformative evening! 

Here’s what you’ll need Infused CBD Massage Oil, Kush Queen’s legendary CBD lube, Love CBD Bath Bomb, and for an extra treat, our Love Potion No. 9 Cannabinoid Elixir.

Now turn off your phone and get ready for a mind and body connection like no other... Shop the 'Orgasmic' collection.

Model smoking KQ premium hemp pre-roll
Orgasmic KQ CBD lube sits on top of model

420 Gifts That Will Chill You The Eff Out

Perfect For Stressed-Out Friends, Your Mom, Playing Hooky

You’ve been stressed lately and need to decompress in a major way. The 'relax' effect delivers chill vibes perfect for decompressing on 420. And if you've never experienced our Soke and Toke, now is the perfect time! 

Grab these KQ favorites Relax CBD Bath Bomb, a Bare 500mg CBD tincture, the Kush Queen Pre-Roll Trio, and our amazing Melt CBD Relief Lotion.

These chill products are some of our favorites to gift to friends and family; and they're usually accompanied by a little note saying “It’s 2022, a little weed won’t hurt ;P!”. Shop the 'Relax' collection. 

Model using Melt, KQ's infused CBD pain relieving lotionModel uses Relax bath bomb by Kush Queen

Gifts To Get You Lifted On 420

Perfect For Stoner Friends, Exploring The Plant, Psychoactive Effects

Let's be real the best part of 420 is blasting off into a place where rules and responsibilities don't exist. Luckily, we’ve captured that feeling of the sun washing over you and worries drifting away with our Delta 8 THC products

Here's what you'll need Delta 8 Soaked Shower Gel, our uplifting Delta 8 GummiesRX, any of the Delta 8 THC Bath Bombs, and KQ's premium indoor hemp flower and pre-rolls.

Word to the wise, these products are psychoactive and will produce a euphoric buzz when consumed, so we suggest enjoying these in nature like on a beautiful hike or at the beach. Shop the 'Lifted' collection.

Model smokes a Kush Queen hemp pre-roll

Model lounges with KQ GummiesRx

420 Gifts That'll Have You Feeling Well

Perfect For A Wellness Reboot, Ppl w/ Allergies, Your Gramps

After the last two years, feeling well just hits different. With your health and well-being in mind, our CBD-infused products are designed to aid in this very important glow-up. 

Grab these KQ favorites Melt lotion, Kush Queen's top-selling Relieve bath bomb, our Gummies Rx Original, and the Bare+ CBDa and CBGa tincture

Just like that feeling, these cannabinoids are here to power you from the inside out. Seriously, who doesn't wanna feel good? Shop the 'Feel Well' collection.

Model uses Bare+ CBDa CBGa TinctureCEO Olivia Alexander getting lifted

 

Gifts To Help You Rest This 420

Perfect For Night Owls, Deep Rest, Meditation

Wanna skip the party and head straight to bed? Try these KQ products for intense relaxation and tranquility. The calming essential oils paired with minor cannabinoid CBN create a quick on-set of sleepiness that lasts throughout the night. 

Here's what you'll need Our nighttime CBN Gummies and the wonderfully sedative Sleep Bath Bomb. It's as simple as that. 

Unwind with this nighttime and morning combination of relaxing cannabinoids that'll have you feeling rested but ready to take on anything. Shop the 'Rest' collection. 

Model soaks in a relaxing Kush Queen CBD infused bath

Kush Queen Sleep CBD Bath Bomb floats in bath

 

It’s now your time to indulge in all your feelings with our ‘420 Find Your Feeling Sale’—Celebrate this 420 with Kush Queen by taking 50% Off all our products site-wide this 4/20!!! 

At Kush Queen, our hope for the cannabis industry is for those within it to be as diverse as the people who use this plant.

We started this company with infused bath bombs because we recognized how approachable this product is and how much a stigma breaker it could be. Destigmatizing cannabis, and the people who use it, has always been our mission as a brand.  That mission also extends to the innovative ways people enjoy cannabis today, like through our CBD gummies and THC gummies.

Model mesmerizes with Kush Queen's CBD bath bomb

Photo Courtesy of Kush Queen

In honor of Black History Month, we at Kush Queen are celebrating the incredible individuals working towards and advocating for real change in cannabis - more specifically, for a socially equitable space. With skyrocketing taxes and very little support, the disenfranchised communities (whose backs this industry was built on) are sadly getting left behind. The truth is the cannabis industry as a whole has a long, long way to go before becoming the equal playing field it needs to be. Thankfully, these inspiring and selfless Black entrepreneurs are working incessantly towards making social equity in cannabis a reality. 

 

Successful Reality Television Executive turned Cannabis Industry CEO

Whitney Beatty, CEO and founder of Josephine & Billie's.

Whitney BeattyFounder, CEO Josephine & Billies and The Apothecarry


Whitney Beatty is a woman of many talents. After leaving her career in entertainment, she founded Apothecarry, a luxury accessories company for the modern-day smoker. Then, inspired by the golden days of Jazz and cannabis Teapads, Beatty opened Josephine & Billies, the first dispensary in the country designed by and for women of color. Beatty secured the first equity investment from The Parent Company (TPCO), California's largest vertically integrated omnichannel cannabis platform, where Jay Z is the Chief Visionary. 

Beatty currently sits on the board of Supernova Women, an organization working for equity in the legal cannabis space. 

On top of it all, she is an inspiring and hilarious mother sharing her life on social media. Beatty is a powerhouse in every sense of the word, and the cannabis industry is better with her in it. 

 

The #RapPriestess, also known as the West Coast Wave Goddess 

Blunt Blowing Mama - Lizzy Jeff smokes a cannabis joint

Lizzy JeffFounder, Zen and Kush


We have admired, followed, and enjoyed the work of Lizzy Jeff for years. 

A cannabis OG, rap priestess, medicine woman, and founder of Zen and Kush, Lizzy Jeff delivers plant medicine, spirituality, and community in one erotically delectable serving. Her unique events nationwide feature healing, sensuality, community-building, education, and wellness workshops. These events aren't called an after-dark experience for no reason; this is Ascension at its finest and most seductive. 

Our bath bombs are often made to her music as it's commonly on repeat at Kush Queen headquarters. We are constantly inspired by her passion for activism and her celebration of the divine feminine. 

Give Lizzy Jeff a follow for alternative ways to heal that embraces masculine and feminine energies while connecting you deeper to your spiritual roots. 

 

Startup Advisor, Accountability Keeper, and Co-Founder in Cannabis, Tech, and Wellness

Mary Pryor, Co-founder, Cannaclusive

Mary Pryor - Activist, Writer, Founder Cannaclusive


Mary Pryor is one of the most powerful women in the cannabis industry. Pryor is an activist, media expert, and the founder of Cannaclusive, a platform created to facilitate fair representation of minority cannabis consumers. 

If you haven’t heard of Pryor’s work with Cannaclusive, then this is your intro. Cannaclusive is currently working to solve the industry's biggest issues: diversity, equity, and part of its namesake - inclusion. Her work with the Accountability List, a living breathing document that holds cannabis companies accountable, is some of the most important work currently taking place in cannabis. 

Pryor has appeared in and contributed to countless publications like Refinery 29, New York Times, and Instyle; her piece on diversity in cannabis for SELF is one of our personal favorites. 

 

The Ivy Leaguer and Former Athlete turned Cannabis Maven 

Nadir PearsonCo-founder Get Hybrid, Founder Student MMJ Alliance 

Nadir Pearson, a graduate of Brown University and founder of Student Marijuana Alliance for Research and Transparency, is one to watch in cannabis. A leader, advocate, and entrepreneur, he has worn many impressive hats in his young career. 

Inspired by sneakerhead culture, Pearson founded Get Hybrid, the cannabis industry’s first release date calendar where you can find new cannabis drops and product launches in one place. Pearson’s accomplishments have been featured in Forbes and Huff Post; he’s also a very talented writer himself. 

One thing we love about Pearson is that he thrives on creating educational cannabis content. He is certainly the future of the industry and we cannot wait to see what big things he does in the future. 

 

Award-winning Business Coach, Strategist, and Serial Entrepreneur

Glam University CEO Sabrina Peterson

Sabrina Peterson - CEO & Founder Pretty High Co and Glam University


Sabrina Peterson dedicated herself and her businesses to be a powerhouse for female empowerment- socially and financially. 

Peterson turned facing a 23-year indictment into Pretty High Co, making CBD and cannabis products. She is a mother and content creator who is always making us laugh while feeling inspired. Peterson is undoubtingly a champion for women and people of color in cannabis. 

Late last year, Peterson invited Kush Queen out to a weekend cannabis educational workshop for women and we left oozing with excitement for how she brings opportunities, shares education, and keeps things transparent about the industry. 

 

It takes great courage and tenacity to go against the cannabis corporate machine. Through the community these amazing advocates continue to build, these inspirational cannabis professionals are aiding in creating visibility, changing the stigma, and opening doors for more BIPOC individuals to come.